Oakland Zoo Reviews

Lots of animals not there like hippo, rhino etc other than it was fun.

The zoo is great! My kid had a blast, he was able to run around, take a break to watch the animals and run again.

Parking can be a bit difficult weekend mornings.

It's closer than the SF Zoo for people in the East Bay. That's about all that's really good about it. A lot of animals are hard to see for smaller kids, and often unnecessarily so, e.g., by painting a glass wall over. The staff is rarely helpful, most of the times they are more on the rude side. It's pricey and the rides are annoying. The kids always want to go to the rides instead of visiting the animals. It's my least favorite zoo but it's close enough to be convenient for a short morning entertainment, so I got a membership. After 11:30 AM it gets too full anyways.

Perfect place for kids. Aerial gondola ride simply amazing, more spece in side the zoo. So many kids rides are there especially train trip nice one

My kid loves visiting the zoo, so many animals to see including the elephants. Get the membership, it's well worth it.

This was my first visit to the Zoo my family and i were just enjoyed the surroundings,
the train ride was a Happy ride the sites the view of the east bay all wonderful, What i really want to comment on is that All the young employee's at the Zoo they were just AWESOME, i deal with mission critical customer issues and I was appreciative of all their kindness and I put them as good will Ambassador's for your Oakland Zoo and I shall return. I had a lot of fun too!

Nice to spend 4hr with kids new play area is also a nice spot to rest and take a view

Always a great time at the zoo. Animals have nice enclosures that give them lots of room to keep active.

A must for kids and animal lovers. Beautiful oasis in East Oakland with stunning views of the Bay!

Wear comfortable shoes, don't forget the sunblock, handicap accessible. Re-entry allowed. There is a children's petting zoo. Also, 20min sky ride ($3per person) and free gandola ride to CA trail and cafe(stollers are allowed on the Gandola only.not sky ride)

The Holidays Lights, Gondola, Train, and cheese fries were so good!

What an amazing zoo. The layout seems so natural. The gondola, air ride, and train all give unique perspectives of the zoo. The newly-constructed California area is really cool too.

Had a wonderful time?
A place for adults and kids! Lots open space for the animals! Haven't seen bisons in any other zoo. Gondola ride is fun, and offers a scenic view of SF Bay. Reasonably priced!

A wonderful zoo with amazing exhibits and a great focus on wildlife conservation!

We came from out of town with two young kids who were super excited to see all the animals... only to be rejected at the gate because they don't allow dogs in the parking lot. So they completely ruined our Saturday and crushed two young kids' dreams, all because we didn't want to leave a small dog at home while we went out of town.

Great place for kids. Docents were very friendly and informative.

Honestly it makes me slightly disappointed in my local zoo, and would 100%go again for the skyride for that view

A great place to stay for the whole family. We had a great time.

I really like this zoo for the service and great atmosphere. One of my favorite parts about the zoo is the train that travels all around the park. This zoo has a lot of exotic animals and great views and shows I would recommend going to this zoo for all ages.

Freaking love the zoo. Can't wait till they finish fixing the place.

The zoo is a pretty good size for an afternoon trip with kids. It takes about 3 hours to walk around the zoo to see all animals. Visitors are welcome to bring their own food to picnic there as well as have meals there is their various restaurants.
We got a chance to see many animals in action but it's a pity that the distance is too far for phone cameras.

There are a few things to note here though.
1. Kids need admission fee after 2. Unlike SF zoo, which offers kids free until they're 3.
2. Parking fee is $9 per car.
3. They do take 'passport' discount. =D
4. All the rides inside are extra. Sky ride is $3 per person and it's a around 20 minutes ride and you got a good view of the zoo. The play ground area is separated from the zoo and you can enter the area without zoo admission. Most rides there cost $1.5 and $3.

One thing about here is that I wish their staff can be more properly trained. The staff at entrance didn't even greet us and give us a map. Moreover, the staff at various exits didn't even bother to hold door for us even we have strollers, which is quite rude. I take one star off due to this.

I was very nervous from the air tging because it kept shaking

Great place to go. The new gondola has a great view and the food is excellent. However, the food is expensive. The train ride is ok but you should really go see the new exhibit. You can also take a few photos from the top. Its expensive to get in but, if you like animals, you will not be disappointed.

The park looked like it was an old art studio
That was worn down. It had kind of a sad feeling to it all.

Nice zoo with all the favorite animals. Treat to see the feeding of the animals and they all had plenty of space to roam and for people watches.

Alot of walking. Great Zoo. Rode the new Tram and saw the new Bison. It was a warm day and the tram was warm inside. Expensive food, Drinks and snacks.

Took my daughter to look at the animals and it was so much fun! I had been here before but it's definitely more fun now that I'm a mom. We will be back for sure.

Love the Gondola and new part. We younger seniors paid $20 admission. No more free days until we are 75.

Great upgrades for animals. More space need though. Snack bars are too expensive. $5 for an iced beverage that should've benn at most $3. Same for pop corn.

Very nice zoo compare to other zoos I have visited. Very huge place too. There is a new kids play area that you have to take gondola. Will go visit again

Very nice for kids .do not miss it .the top parts is Soo nice

The park is great, the animals seem to be well maintained and the park is very walkable

Great place to spend time with family. Loved the new exhibit showcasing the wild west. Cafe has amazing views.

My wife and I had a great time with our grandkids there

great place to take the family and see animals that are not in cages.

It s a fun zoo for both adults and children, there have lots of animals and staffs there were really nice! Also you can take cable car to the upper level for free.

Personally visiting the zoo is not my thing .. but I took my grandson on Father's Day. The weather was great, but the animals were not visible in many of the exhibits. I think they may have been hiding from all the dad bods I saw wandering around!!

It's an older zoo actually. Biggest complaint is many of the areas did not have signs or field notes to explain or provide info on the animals or creatures we were viewing.

It was a real work out. Up and down hills but it was very nice. Loved all the animal. Not a lot of food choices so pack a lunch and snacks.

I took you here baby girl. I wanted you every day. Im suing.

One of the better zoos. Great view of the bay from the top of the gondola. Try to come on a weekday as weekends can get crowded.

Fun place to take the kids. Very clean and well maintained. Lots of animals.

A good place to walk, it is nice, in particular I liked that of San Francisco, but this one has its appeal, you have to judge for yourself and see which one you like more ...

What a thrill. Not the ride on the freeway, but the experience with the kiddos. They loved it all.

Oakland Zoo is always a great time. My kid loves all the ani.ale.and they always treat us well.

Best zoo ever. Beautiful grounds and open aired habitats make you feel like you're walking through a safari. Lots of imaginative spaces for kids to play and high end food and drinks a short, free gondola ride away at the new Landings cafe in the California adventure area. And lots of great rescue animals including lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, and many species of adorable monkeys to name a few.

Absolutely beautiful! Seriously can't wait to go back. Definitely need two days to really enjoy the entire park.

Good for a family trip. Gondola and SkyRide are good. Children play area is a plus.
As like other zoos Oakland zoo also has its downside, some animal exhibits needs to be upgraded for the animals.

Not entertaining enough, not educational enough.Poor direction signs and insufficient description. Not many animals.

I love it. I had an anthropology field trip over there after a raining day. All animals are out and active.

Lots of hills, pricey unhealthy snacks. Gondola offers amazing bay view.

By far my favorite ZOO, staff is amazing , lot s of parking spaces. There is so much to experience, only negative thing I can say is I wish there was more food options and more bathroom locations. I recommend for everyone to visit if they can. Entrance fee together with the parking is very reasonable.

Great fun with the family, gondola ride was awesome, views of the bay and plenty of animals to see and enjoy!

Part of the fun coming here is seeing the struggle of the out of shape humans struggling with the hilly terrain. The giraffes, elephants, baboons, and bats are my favorite here. Bring good walking shoes, a stroller for the little ones, and plenty of water.

A fun day out for the whole family. All your favorite animals are here, along with some unusual additions from around the world (but mostly Africa). There's even a place to pet goats and sheep

There's a common area for lunch and kids to run around, and a few pricey places to grab some eats. The new FREE gondola takes you to the top of a hill where there's a panoramic view of the entire Bay.

If you live nearby and have kids, consider the membership.

They just added a new feature that we love as a family. They keep adding and that's why I have a membership.

You have to be 18+ to ride the gondola or sky lift on your own unless you have an adult to ride with you, just thought y'all might want to know.